Word of the Day
Learn a new word every day! The Dictionary.com team of language experts carefully selects each Word of the Day to add some panache to your vocabulary.
a toy for whirling or spinning
A whirligig is a toy that spins or whirls. It could be set in motion by wind, a string, or just a quick twist of the hand. Pinwheels and spinning tops are familiar examples, but the word can cover all sorts of playful contraptions. You could even make your own whirligig if you're feeling creative!
The toddler laughed as the colorful whirligig spun around and around.
of a town
Oppidan can be used to describe anything that belongs to or is characteristic of a town. It gives a name to that in-between place that doesn't quite fit "urban" or "rural." A classic main street is the quintessential place to enjoy the oppidan life.
The long-time residents enjoy the perks of their oppidan lifestyle, such as seeing familiar faces every morning at the diner.
a pyramid of bite-size cream puffs coated and held in place with caramelized sugar
A croquembouche is a tall, cone-shaped dessert made by stacking small cream puffs and holding them together with caramelized sugar. This impressive French treat is traditionally served at weddings and other celebrations in place of a cake. And like a wedding cake, a croquembouche is meant to be admired before it's eaten.
The pastry chef built a magnificent croquembouche for the wedding.
happening within a story
If it's diegetic, it takes place within a story. The word comes from a Greek term meaning "pertaining to a narrative," and it's especially common in discussions of film and television. When the narrator steps up to the figurative mic and tells the story, that's diegetic.
In the play, the hero's diegetic monologue revealed what had happened.
lacking a sound basis; weak or unsubstantiated
Something tenuous is weakly supported or rests on an unstable foundation, whether literally or metaphorically. The word comes from the Latin tenuis, meaning "thin," bringing to mind the visual of something delicate or lacking in substance. A shaky theory or an unsteady stack of books can both be tenuous, so watch out when things start to topple!
His argument was tenuous since it relied on rumors instead of actual facts.
